Problem statement:
Students are often unable to secure employment because prospective employers require work experience, while others are unable to graduate because they do not have the work experience required for their graduation.

Partner(s):
The Ubuntu Institute for Young Social Entrepreneurs is a social enterprise in Southern Africa with both non-profit and for-profit divisions. The non-profit arm focuses on five of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals related to education, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and women empowerment, economic development and entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability. Project partners include hotels/resorts, which will place the students in internships, as well as the Department of Tourism Services SETA.

Intervention:
The Ubuntu Institute provides high-quality internships and training to young people in the hospitality industry. The International Jobs Placement Programme will select 1 000 unemployed graduates or further education and training students to receive workplace training. Selected youth will be placed in five-star resorts in the United States and Canada for between six and 12 months depending on the selection criteria and seasonal demand. On their return, the trainees will be placed in the aftercare programme, which will help them find employment in government tourism facilities and private hotels. The Ubuntu Institute has found that about 10 percent of its returning graduates decide to create their own enterprises.